Managing Your Candy Intake

AUTHOR: Jenna

As you can probably tell, I’m not very good at managing my candy intake, so you probably shouldn't be taking any advice on this topic from me anytime soon. Oh well, I may as well take a crack at it. In my first blog, I mentioned how I like to keep a few Jolly Ranchers or Hershey Kisses in my pencil case. I try limit myself to eating only one candy in during each class. In first period, I tell myself, “It’s too early in the morning to be eating candy. At least wait till second period!” And if I’m having a good day, then I’ll make it till lunch before I eat candy! But that’s usually not the case. After my first class, then I may eat two pieces of candy during my second class because I’ll think, “Oh, it’s alright. I didn’t eat anything during first period.” So as you can tell, no matter what, I’ll always eat candy. I have tried to break this habit so many times, but it is literally impossible for me. My biggest restraint is not bringing that much candy to school. On an normal day, I’ll pack six Jolly Ranchers to eat throughout the day. I have five classes a day which leaves me with one extra Jolly Rancher. I then have to choose between recess and sports period to eat another one. If I bring less than the normal amount, then I will be more inclined to hold back and resist the candy.

The biggest factor for me is guilt. I always feel guilty. At the end of the day I’ll think to myself how many times I could’ve held back and not eaten a piece of candy. I’ll tell myself that I won’t eat as many pieces the next day, but I know it’s a lie.

Here are some steps/suggestions to try and limit yourself:

1. Give yourself a limit. - Whether it be one piece per hour, or 5 pieces a day, try and give yourself a set amount of candy per day.

2. Instead of eating candy, eat something else! - I also enjoy fruit (especially mangoes, peaches, and strawberries) so I’ll sometimes snack on that instead of candy! To me, fruit is also naturally sweet so it still tastes a little bit like healthy candy. My mom once suggested drinking a glass of water every time I felt the urge to eat candy, but I don’t particularly like water.

3. Keep a checklist of “Daily Trackers”. - Another thing that sometimes helps me is a Daily Trackers Checklist. Some of the things I keep on there are “drinking water” and “doing my homework”, but I also have “5 pieces of candy a day” (which is barely checked in…

Although my list is only 3 items long, try it out! Does it work for you?

COMMENT OF THE DAY: Share some ways you limit yourself to eating a certain amount of candy.